Shafaqna English- Around 60,000 Palestinians performed the Friday Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite heavy Israeli restrictions.
Jerusalem-based sources said tens of thousands of worshippers managed to reach the Mosque, even as Israeli occupation police forces closed several major streets leading to the holy site, creating severe delays and obstructing access to its gates.
From the early morning hours, police forces expanded their security measures across the Old City, deploying heavily around Al-Aqsa and erecting both fixed and mobile checkpoints at Bab-al-Asbat and several other entrances. These measures significantly restricted movement and increased the hardship for Palestinians trying to reach the Mosque for prayers.
Witnesses reported that Israeli troops stopped groups of young men at Bab-al-Sahira and barred them from entering Al-Aqsa, part of Israel’s ongoing policy of tightening access to worshippers particularly on Fridays.
Eyewitnesses also noted that Israeli forces closed central routes near the Friday market, causing overcrowding and large gatherings of worshippers stuck in the streets.
Source: Palestinian Information Center